Some people, including very knowledgeable ones, don't like bowls that have been carbon coated because they want to see the inside of the bowl for themselves before they ever put a match to it. Breaking it in from the virgin state is no problem, or concern for them. There have been people who have hidden flaws using a bowl coating. Rare, but it's happened. Excellent video.
Thanks for the heads up. I bought a new savinelli and didn't use alcohol to clean and I could taste the inside a bit. I'm new to pipe smoking, for about a month now and I enjoy getting advice from you and Alan from the pipe cottage.
Thanks for the end of the video! I was afraid to clean out the loose ash. The inside pic of that pipe was great. Please show what it looks like when cake needs to be removed and an after photo after cake has been removed. This is a mystery to those of us with no mentors. Great video as usual Wilson!
Reformed Baptist with the 1689 LBC proudly displayed and my great friend Carl Trueman's "Credal Imperative" in the background. He's got my subscription! Just bought my first pipe; I can't wait to try it!
@@BryanChandler1905 The Surgeon Piper has several videos on that subject! I wrestled with this for a while. You should definitely check out his videos on that and talk with some trust pastors and Christian mentors in your life as you tackle this issue. I've come to the conclusion it's not sin, but there are definitely situations in which is could be a stumbling block (especially for someone like me becoming a pastor), and I'm ready to give it up at a moment's notice for the sake of my church and the gospel.
@@BryanChandler1905looking on a woman, who is not your wife, and wanting her is a sin, as that is committing adultery in ones heart, as stated by Christ when the issue of adultery is brought up. As a child, to now my time as an adult this happens. Is this unnatural? Is this to condemn a man, made by design? Or is he obligated to embrace that sin, in order to eventually overcome it? Judah, the son of Jacob(israel) hires a Harlot, originally intended to several of his sons, and he impregnates her: and this is the line that Christ was sired from. How then can that sin be condemning? I AM your servant 🃏
@@BryanChandler1905 I'm not a Christian myself but I've watch many pipers who are and what according to them what's a sin is abusing tobacco, but not a moderate use. Same as for alcohol.
I feel like having been a cigar smoker for two years I have an advantage in understanding the cadence of puffing and not being too worried about not being able to smoke a whole bowl. But there is a lot to this that I’m glad I heard first before getting my pipe. God bless you
I have an old bottle of Heaven Hill bourbon that I acquired at a liquor store a few years ago for my collection.It turned out to be the worst ever to the point I didn't even like iit as a mixer. I saved it however thinking the taste might change in a few years. Last year I got into pipesmoking and was following another presenter that used rum as a pipe cleaner. So I began using this HH bourbon to clean my pipe bowls out and wicking a pipecleaner with it for the stems. It is great. Leaves the pipes with that faint bourbon smell after evaporating that I really can't taste when smoking the pipe. Now I know what to do with bourbon that is practically undrinkable. Cheers!
I haven't smoked a pipe since the 90s and am getting back into it. Thank you for your videos they help a lot and like my cigars, I enjoy the ritual of smoking.
I just ordered a peterson dublin, i cant wait for it to get here. This is my first real pipe, I've been using meerschaum pipes to start with. Better to make mistakes on $10. pipes than ones that cost $100.
Great points, all around. As for choosing the tobacco, I would say that it depends on whether the new pipe would be an "all around" pipe or not. Myself, personally, I like to have dedicated pipes for each blend type (including Lakelands), so when I buy a new pipe, I already know what blend type I will be smoking in it. Keep up the good work! Cheers from Europe!
I just started smoking my pipe again after 3 years of not smoking I only quit because of the crazy prices of high quality pipe tobacco in Canada but I'm in the states a lot more these days so I have access to quality tobacco at cheaper price it's crazy how much I've saved lol
Came looking at this video to break In my pipe from Malcolm's pipe shop hahaha. This was awesome! I also wondered who got that beauty and now I know! Great looking pipe.
My maternal Grandfather was a pipe smoker. He had a collection of about 12 pipes he smoked. He had a humidor with a pipe rack built into it. When I was about 15 yrs old, I thought I would do something nice for Grandpa while he was at work. I cleaned all his pipes for him. I wahed them in the sink and scraped all the crud out of them. I thought he would be happy when he got home, but I was wrong! Boy, was I wrong.
Awesome , thanks ,, side note , I used a butane torch and blasted it the first minute or two , really good wood, didn't harderly heat up at all and no chemical burn , so good onya Shire pipes , shout out ,,,,👍✔️❤️🙏
I am learning about the pipe and different tobacco and how it’s all made, and this video really helped! I’m going to be looking up more videos but any info or tracking on the different blends and hot they’re made is really appreciate! Also if you’re a tobacconist or a blending specialist I’d love to chat and learn!
Gonna give pipe smoking another try. I had a long stemmed colonial style pipe with very aromatic blends. I experienced consistent tongue bite, even when trying to slow down my cadence. Just purchased a shorter stemmed briar pipe with a very mild tobacco. Let's see if this is a better experience this time. Fingers crossed 🤞
@Salpeteroxid I bought some mild tobacco and changed out my pipe to a standard stem size instead of the long colonial stem. Not sure if it is the tobacco or the stem change, but no tongue bite!
For me the blends are the key. That's the reason I have more pipes. Each pipe is for a different taste. ie. Vanilla, black Cav and so on. I don't mix tobaccos in my briar pipes. When i want to try a new tobacco blend, I buy a corncob pipe to go with it. After about 10 sessions, if I like the blend, time for a new pipe. I certainly would never put a cherry aromatic in one of my Virginia blended pipe. Put time and thought into this. The blend should match the pipe (type and shape) too. When I'm working, I like stronger blends in a pocket sized, cheap pipe I can puff throughout the day. I keep a few resting pipes in my garage for drinking bourbon that are aromatics. I also like a small, light weight pipe while I'm driving my old pick-up truck. This is where those cob pipes come in. After all, I can't wait to get where I'm going when I buy a new blend and cob pipe. I like to buy, when I can, from different local cigar/pipe shops wherever I'm at. I like the social aspect, the thrill of the hunt for something new, and Supporting these shops is good thing to do. Pipe smoking can slow your life, let you decompress. It has also introduced other new hobbies to me, such as antique shopping for old pipes. That has led me down many other rabbit holes,. I also find myself outdoors more too. I started and still maintain a vegetable garden, and have met a lot people just sitting on my front porch. The pipe is a great prop for a ice-breaker. Great video!
As a second year pipe smoker, I agree with everything you say here. Usually I break in my pipes with a mild English like Presbyterian. Blessed week to you!
So that's why my new Peterson pipe was not a pleasant experience! I'll be sure and remove the stain from inside the bowl! Thank you for the info! I'll be tuning in for more helpful tips!
What is your opinion on pipes with metal inserts in the bowl? Iv seen a few pipes with that in some of the b&m stores in my area and I hadn't seen it prior.
I say have several different pipes when smoking aromatics and such. a pipe set for one kind of tobacco. 1 keeps your pipe tasting like that tobacco and not mixing, 2 (whispering) you get to buy more pipes😉
I am about 1 month into pipe smoking. Thanks to your tutorials and other great channels I have learned a lot. But one thing still feels wrong to me: the taste. I have never smoked before but I know cigarettes for example taste terrible. Well, my pipe tastes foul too. So many people talk about pipe smoking as if they are talking about a fine wine and all of it's ingredients. But my smoking just tastes like ashes or cigarettes, let be that I can tell if there is vanilla in there or honey. The room note however is very pleasant. I must be doing something wrong. I have literally seen like a 100 tutorial video's from great channels such as Muttnchop Piper and The Pipe Cottage, including your channel here. But the smoking experience still feels weird to me with strong aftertaste as well. So I came to this video because I thought that I did not break in my pipe correctly but I couldn't find an answer in this video. I can taste food properly but pipe smoking remains as if I am sucking on a fireplace (with cool smoke I must add)
Three things come to mind. 1) Be sure your pipe is adequately clean. Run some pipe cleaners with some solution through. 2) Be sure you aren't smoking too hot. When you do, everything comes through as ash. 2) More than likely, you simply need time to adjust to the experience. When I take off a week or so from smoking my pipe, when I return, it tastes exactly as you described. No matter the blend. After several bowls, my taste for the leaf returns. Give your tastebuds time to adjust. Eventually, you'll start tasting notes.
@@TheSpurgeonPiper Thank you so much for taking the time to answer me, I'm just one of the thousands of subscribers! I will follow your advice and I truly hope that my tasting experience will improve. The pipe has done so many good things in my life. It has helped me to slow down, self reflect, enjoy small things in life in this world gone mad.
@@mercury187hello, I am now 11 months further into the journey and I must say there is a lot of improvement. I am not going to say that I could now tell what flavorings are in the tobacco (without reading the tin) but I do notice subtle notes of for example cherries. I also have a favorite tobacco (a cherry house blend from Germany since I'm from Europe) that works really well for me and I keep putting that one in a dedicated pipe and it's my general go to tobacco. I have learned to smoke cooler as well and this makes a huge difference in taste. Don't focus too much on keeping your pipe lit! It is more important to smoke cooler and having to relight than trying to keep it lit throughout an entire bowl! Lastly, halfway through the bowl, I dump the top ashes out (the very thin, fine white burnt up ashes create foul taste). Also remember it's tobacco smoke coming into your mouth and not cherry juice or vanilla cream. These are the ideas that keep me getting back to the pipe every time. Pauses of an entire week are ok too. You don't have to smoke it twice a day to get better. I hope this helps. But it's a very individual journey as I see it. What others like or love, might not work for you. PS: forgot to mention I always clean my pipes after a smoke. It is very important to keep them clean. And not to smoke too many blends with the same pipe. Try to stick to a blend you seem to like for some reason and smoke it regularly using the same pipe. (To avoid ghosting)
Like you said there’s more than one way to skin a cat. For me & my pipe smoking comrades we thoroughly clean our pipes after every use. We pack properly & smoke properly & good tobacco that is at the correct moisture burns just fine. We find by doing this our pipes are always very fresh & clean tasting allowing us to truly taste every new tobacco without lingering notes from a dirty pipe.
My method is very similar except I simply aim the pipe down and gently blow at the ash while i very gently run a pipecleaner round the inside of bowl with nor more than 3 circles. But I'm a clumsy person so I try be super gentle with bowl cleaning while building my carbon cake. For context all my pipes are briar wood, half/full bent, 3 apples nd 2 bulldog shape.
What do you think about 5000 year old Bog Oak? I just purchased from Paronelli Pipe, I am excited to drive. I think this will have a Peet Taste from the wood. Thoughts?
Can I do the burning to the bottom in sessions or does it have to be all in one sitting? Like, can a smoke some, put it down and then come back to it later as long as I go all the way to the bottom? I just don’t always have time for a whole bowl of some of my bigger bowls
the world of pipe smoking is really weird. theres nothing that beats the first hit out of a brand new clean pipe but ALSO nothing can beat a nice broken in pipe too!
Hey, thank you for the awesome video. Very helpful for newcomer. I just purchased my first Stanwell natural finish pipe. Do you - or have you heard - is it common to use some kind of oil, finish or something for the "unfinished" surface of the natural finish pipe?
I guess I’m the exception, I don’t like carbon cake…make the pipe smell like a chimney. I don’t think I’m alone hence why reamers exist. Thx for the content!
Great Video. Being noob myself I actually find myself fearing causing fire in my house. I maintain my pipes regularly, but still. I keep my pipe collection in my library. I make sure they are being thoroughly cleaned after smoking, but is there any method that would give me a peace of mind? Cheers
@@TheSpurgeonPiper it doesn’t look like it’s available anymore, but it’s good to see there’s many groups putting out the 1689 in high quality bindings.
I’m a relatively new pipe smoker. I’ve subscribed to your RUclips channel and have watched a lot of your videos. I’m really starting to enjoy the hobby and I think I’m ready to buy my first “nice” pipe. I currently have a starter pipe kit from Scotte. I live in the north Texas area, just south of DFW. Where do you recommend I go to get my hands on some quality pipes? Thanks in advance for your help.
For a brick and mortar store, I'd check out the good folks at Tobacco Cabana in Cedar Hill, Texas. Grabbing some corncobs from Missouri Meerschaum wouldn't be a bad idea either. Hope that helps.
I have a problem with getting a cake in the bottom half of my pipes. I start with a half or less bowlful for several smokes and then add only a little bit of tobacco each smoke, but I find, even after I have started smoking it full that the bottom of the bowl does not cake well. Can you say why this is a problem for me, and recommend a solution?
Concerning building up your carbon cake at the bottom of your bowl if when you have very little tobacco in the bowl used the camper on your three-in-one tool and gently hold it against the tobacco and and smoke this will force the fire to the bottom of the bowl and your carbon Kate will build up nice and even at the bottom
Can I use Bourbon to clean the bowl? Do you use filters in your pipes. I recently bought my first in years, a Whittock that made with everything. I'm happy with it...but it is made in China.
Now I might have made a slight mistake. I've been wanting to get into pipe smoking for a while. Cause I do like the occasional cigar. And I kind of wanted to switch to pipe smoking I was with a friend of mine at a local shop. And I've looked at this company before. They're based out in Asheville. I'm from North Carolina, so it's like awesome. A local north carolina pipe and they base them off like lord of the rings, I got the pie but I'm trying to learn. I just came across your videos. Cause I was planning ongoing out and getting some tobacco today. I want to say my pipe is of decent quality but how do you know?
@TheSpurgeonPiper Okay, well Hey, I should have probably done this before. I bought it, but you know, impulse. Buys but I just went to their website. And the pipe that I got is made from cherry wood. The company is polsar Shire pipes. Based out in Asheville, North Carolina, from what ive been able to look up and what the store clerk told me
Just picked up a brand new pipe and it has the precarbon on it. Do I have to be careful with breaking in process (like only smoking a quarter bowl etc) or can i fill the bowl and just smoke slowly? Thanks Chris.
New to the crew, just got my pipe for Father's Day. Want to break my Black and Mild habit and go to something that I can do and not break the habit. Names Kevin and just want to say hi to the team.
Can I use anything else to clean the stain from the inside of the bowl? I just got my pipe today, really want to try it, but I dont have the exact right materials to follow his instructions to clean it out
my pipe came with a layer of carbon inside of it, i used alcohol with paper towels after two weeks of using the pipe to clean it out. i believe the layer of carbon was washed away. do you think it is still safe to use it? or is there any way to add a new layer of carbon inside of the bowl?
I've never heard of anyone using alcohol or any "solution" to clean a pipe. Theoretically the alcohol should evaporate. You should be alright. You could pack a bowl and burn of any residual alcohol. Carbon buildup is a good thing. When it gets really out of hand, your tamper should normally have a reamer or scraper to scrape out the excess buildup in your bowl. I just use pipe cleaners (no cleaning solutions) to clean the shank and the stem/mouth piece. I honestly don't believe any chemicals other than those in tobacco should be touching your pipe bowl. You kinda want that buildup. I've been smoking over 2 years now and only use pipe cleaners. Personally I like the way the seasoned bowls smell. I hope I could have been of some help for you.
ive been smoking pipes for over 60 yrs. now it seems all i can find are pipes with a metal bowl inside managed to get 2 of 7 pipe bowls out. they smoke much better without the metal bowls inside the wood pipe. any ideas how to get the small metal bowls out of a wooden pipe?
@@TheSpurgeonPiper I'll be honest, I didn't expect a reply, considering this video is a year old. Thanks for the reply! I just bought my first ever briar pipe after having a nice experience smoking a corn cob pipe with a friend, and I can't wait to try it. Just wanna make sure I'm not making any rookie mistakes, so I am really glad to have found your channel.
Good evening sir been watching alots of your vid and other channel lately..I have been wanting to get into this hobby for a while but have not had had the funds to do so ,it seems very calming speding time by your self reflexting and in am 50 years old scemes like got time to try this out.I would hate to ask but do u have a crappy pipe you dont use no more and some tabacoo you could giftet me ,So I can try.This would greatly be appreciated.I have not been able to get it my self cause i am fighthing to get back my ssi and have not had money to spend in leisure things.
I’m new to bowls myself, just got a dr grabow. For corn cob pipes I figure you just burn and turn em, get new ones once it’s burnt out and move onto a wooden bowl for longevity
@@jasonkemppainen4731 my corn cob pipe has lasted quite a few years. I treat them no different than my meersham or briar. Rum or whiskey does a fine job as a cleaner
I own Credal Imperative and a host of Truman books as well, see JIPacket Knowing God as also ... A classic... Good reformed theologians... Great reading as you puff... Surgeon would approve.
I have never been able to smoke a bowl full all the way to the bottom. I end up sucking in ash before I get to the bottom. So I have never been able to build a proper cake in any of my pipes.
@@TheSpurgeonPiper I had a friend that put honey into his and he found he couldn't smoke it anymore, he had to spend money to get it cleaned, and we live in Japan so that's really expensive to do, I've been careful since then...
I always assumed that the carbon cake was to protect the wood on the inside of the bowl from slowing burning away. Inhaling that wood directly day after day long term seems like not a great idea.
@@bencarter7839 of course they don’t silly me- Not a one has ever inhaled and lived to tell about it as far as I know and it would be unthinkable to even consider inhaling the tobacco smoke from a tobacco smoking pipe for a single second even though it’s from some of the purest and highest quality smoking tobacco known to man. Every pipe smoker I have ever met has super clean perfectly healthy lungs from never inhaling passively, retroactively or simply by accident.
Not a silly question at all. I have a video that covers this (Joyodelf pipe review). In short, I don't trust most companies there. They use cheap wood and nonwood material that can be harmful to smoke from.
@@Jibninjah some mention it when you look on their Amazon product page. Others dont. But my encouragement is to avoid cheapo pipes on Amazon/Etsy and go with trusted brands. It's not worth the few bucks you'll save
Some people, including very knowledgeable ones, don't like bowls that have been carbon coated because they want to see the inside of the bowl for themselves before they ever put a match to it. Breaking it in from the virgin state is no problem, or concern for them. There have been people who have hidden flaws using a bowl coating. Rare, but it's happened. Excellent video.
Thanks for the addition my friend!
🙋🏼♂️ thank you. Thought I was alone. I clean my pipe after each use. Not trying to smoke a chimney 😅
Been smoking pipe on and off for 17 years and love watching beginner videos. Always learn something! Good stuff.
New pipe smoker here and I just wanted to say thank you so much for this video.
Your systematic theology book stood out to me right away. Love the books dude. Pipes are great no doubt about it.
Stay strong and smoke on.
Thanks for the heads up. I bought a new savinelli and didn't use alcohol to clean and I could taste the inside a bit. I'm new to pipe smoking, for about a month now and I enjoy getting advice from you and Alan from the pipe cottage.
Thanks for the end of the video! I was afraid to clean out the loose ash. The inside pic of that pipe was great. Please show what it looks like when cake needs to be removed and an after photo after cake has been removed. This is a mystery to those of us with no mentors. Great video as usual Wilson!
Reformed Baptist with the 1689 LBC proudly displayed and my great friend Carl Trueman's "Credal Imperative" in the background. He's got my subscription! Just bought my first pipe; I can't wait to try it!
I appreciate the support!
Can a Christian smoke? I would like to get into pipe smoking, but I have heard that it's a sin.
@@BryanChandler1905 The Surgeon Piper has several videos on that subject! I wrestled with this for a while. You should definitely check out his videos on that and talk with some trust pastors and Christian mentors in your life as you tackle this issue. I've come to the conclusion it's not sin, but there are definitely situations in which is could be a stumbling block (especially for someone like me becoming a pastor), and I'm ready to give it up at a moment's notice for the sake of my church and the gospel.
@@BryanChandler1905looking on a woman, who is not your wife, and wanting her is a sin, as that is committing adultery in ones heart, as stated by Christ when the issue of adultery is brought up.
As a child, to now my time as an adult this happens. Is this unnatural? Is this to condemn a man, made by design? Or is he obligated to embrace that sin, in order to eventually overcome it?
Judah, the son of Jacob(israel) hires a Harlot, originally intended to several of his sons, and he impregnates her: and this is the line that Christ was sired from. How then can that sin be condemning?
I AM your servant
🃏
@@BryanChandler1905 I'm not a Christian myself but I've watch many pipers who are and what according to them what's a sin is abusing tobacco, but not a moderate use. Same as for alcohol.
I feel like having been a cigar smoker for two years I have an advantage in understanding the cadence of puffing and not being too worried about not being able to smoke a whole bowl. But there is a lot to this that I’m glad I heard first before getting my pipe. God bless you
Good points Nathan
Not a clue why I watch these videos, I don't even smoke
Yeah,I watch guitar videos and I have never played a guitar in my life,I am a djembe' drummer of 20 years!🤷🪘
Same! 😂
Maybe that's a sign to start 🤓
@shaggysglass6707 ... more than likely!🤷
You are experiencing
I use barrel proof bourbon to clean my pips. In stead of isopropyl alcohol or mouthwash. Works well.
I have an old bottle of Heaven Hill bourbon that I acquired at a liquor store a few years ago for my collection.It turned out to be the worst ever to the point I didn't even like iit as a mixer. I saved it however thinking the taste might change in a few years. Last year I got into pipesmoking and was following another presenter that used rum as a pipe cleaner. So I began using this HH bourbon to clean my pipe bowls out and wicking a pipecleaner with it for the stems. It is great. Leaves the pipes with that faint bourbon smell after evaporating that I really can't taste when smoking the pipe. Now I know what to do with bourbon that is practically undrinkable. Cheers!
Thank you day 5 of sobriety pipe smoking is helping me get through
Hey brother, I hope you're still doing well. Saying a prayer for you now!
I haven't smoked a pipe since the 90s and am getting back into it. Thank you for your videos they help a lot and like my cigars, I enjoy the ritual of smoking.
I just ordered a peterson dublin, i cant wait for it to get here. This is my first real pipe, I've been using meerschaum pipes to start with. Better to make mistakes on $10. pipes than ones that cost $100.
Im trying to find a good site to order...?!
Very helpful, I did not know that. Your videos are a happy place for me - thank you.
Happy to hear that! Thank you!
Just picked up a Savinelli Trevi 616. Very excited to break it in! My first “nice” pipe. 😀
I have a 616, love it! Its huge and smokes great.
Great points, all around. As for choosing the tobacco, I would say that it depends on whether the new pipe would be an "all around" pipe or not. Myself, personally, I like to have dedicated pipes for each blend type (including Lakelands), so when I buy a new pipe, I already know what blend type I will be smoking in it. Keep up the good work! Cheers from Europe!
Good point my friend. That is an important factor.
As someone who's new to pipes and reasonably new to reformed theology, you have my sub, sir
Thank you for the support!
Just ordered a new Savinelli churchwarden, and I'm cruising around looking at break-in methods. Thanks!😊
Happy to help
I just started smoking my pipe again after 3 years of not smoking I only quit because of the crazy prices of high quality pipe tobacco in Canada but I'm in the states a lot more these days so I have access to quality tobacco at cheaper price it's crazy how much I've saved lol
Came looking at this video to break In my pipe from Malcolm's pipe shop hahaha. This was awesome! I also wondered who got that beauty and now I know! Great looking pipe.
Thanks Matthew! Enjoy!
A reformed baptist brother...subbed!
Great job as always
Thanks Bob!
@@TheSpurgeonPiper can you please tell me the air cleaner you did a video on and rated it very good? I forgot. Thank you
I cleaned mine with peppermint organic hand sanitizer by Doctor bronner's. It left behind a dry, fresh peppermint taste.
Still learning, thanks for the information
Glad to help
Great video as always. I plan to break in a new pipe later this week if all goes well and will try these steps. Thank you!
Thank you Nick!
My maternal Grandfather was a pipe smoker. He had a collection of about 12 pipes he smoked. He had a humidor with a pipe rack built into it. When I was about 15 yrs old, I thought I would do something nice for Grandpa while he was at work. I cleaned all his pipes for him. I wahed them in the sink and scraped all the crud out of them. I thought he would be happy when he got home, but I was wrong! Boy, was I wrong.
Good stuff Wilson. Hope you and your family are well😊
Thank you my friend! And you and yours as well.
Good chat and video sir! Thanks for all the tricks and tips.👍👍 god bless and take care .
Thanks, you too!
Awesome , thanks ,, side note , I used a butane torch and blasted it the first minute or two , really good wood, didn't harderly heat up at all and no chemical burn , so good onya Shire pipes , shout out ,,,,👍✔️❤️🙏
Carbon is supposed to be from the tobacco not the briar wood itself
That was very helpful.
I am learning about the pipe and different tobacco and how it’s all made, and this video really helped! I’m going to be looking up more videos but any info or tracking on the different blends and hot they’re made is really appreciate! Also if you’re a tobacconist or a blending specialist I’d love to chat and learn!
Thanks for the advise.
Thank you🤗
Gonna give pipe smoking another try. I had a long stemmed colonial style pipe with very aromatic blends. I experienced consistent tongue bite, even when trying to slow down my cadence. Just purchased a shorter stemmed briar pipe with a very mild tobacco. Let's see if this is a better experience this time. Fingers crossed 🤞
Give us an update 😊
@Salpeteroxid I bought some mild tobacco and changed out my pipe to a standard stem size instead of the long colonial stem. Not sure if it is the tobacco or the stem change, but no tongue bite!
@@Salpeteroxid looks like it was the aromatic tobacco blend. No tongue bite.
For me the blends are the key. That's the reason I have more pipes. Each pipe is for a different taste. ie. Vanilla, black Cav and so on. I don't mix tobaccos in my briar pipes. When i want to try a new tobacco blend, I buy a corncob pipe to go with it. After about 10 sessions, if I like the blend, time for a new pipe. I certainly would never put a cherry aromatic in one of my Virginia blended pipe.
Put time and thought into this. The blend should match the pipe (type and shape) too. When I'm working, I like stronger blends in a pocket sized, cheap pipe I can puff throughout the day. I keep a few resting pipes in my garage for drinking bourbon that are aromatics. I also like a small, light weight pipe while I'm driving my old pick-up truck. This is where those cob pipes come in. After all, I can't wait to get where I'm going when I buy a new blend and cob pipe. I like to buy, when I can, from different local cigar/pipe shops wherever I'm at. I like the social aspect, the thrill of the hunt for something new, and Supporting these shops is good thing to do.
Pipe smoking can slow your life, let you decompress. It has also introduced other new hobbies to me, such as antique shopping for old pipes. That has led me down many other rabbit holes,. I also find myself outdoors more too. I started and still maintain a vegetable garden, and have met a lot people just sitting on my front porch. The pipe is a great prop for a ice-breaker.
Great video!
Thanks for sharing!
You bet!
As a second year pipe smoker, I agree with everything you say here. Usually I break in my pipes with a mild English like Presbyterian. Blessed week to you!
Thanks Scott!
So that's why my new Peterson pipe was not a pleasant experience! I'll be sure and remove the stain from inside the bowl! Thank you for the info! I'll be tuning in for more helpful tips!
What is your opinion on pipes with metal inserts in the bowl? Iv seen a few pipes with that in some of the b&m stores in my area and I hadn't seen it prior.
Great informative vid,keep them coming.And have a great weekend,god bless.
I say have several different pipes when smoking aromatics and such. a pipe set for one kind of tobacco. 1 keeps your pipe tasting like that tobacco and not mixing, 2 (whispering) you get to buy more pipes😉
I am about 1 month into pipe smoking. Thanks to your tutorials and other great channels I have learned a lot. But one thing still feels wrong to me: the taste. I have never smoked before but I know cigarettes for example taste terrible. Well, my pipe tastes foul too. So many people talk about pipe smoking as if they are talking about a fine wine and all of it's ingredients. But my smoking just tastes like ashes or cigarettes, let be that I can tell if there is vanilla in there or honey. The room note however is very pleasant. I must be doing something wrong. I have literally seen like a 100 tutorial video's from great channels such as Muttnchop Piper and The Pipe Cottage, including your channel here. But the smoking experience still feels weird to me with strong aftertaste as well. So I came to this video because I thought that I did not break in my pipe correctly but I couldn't find an answer in this video. I can taste food properly but pipe smoking remains as if I am sucking on a fireplace (with cool smoke I must add)
Three things come to mind.
1) Be sure your pipe is adequately clean. Run some pipe cleaners with some solution through.
2) Be sure you aren't smoking too hot. When you do, everything comes through as ash.
2) More than likely, you simply need time to adjust to the experience. When I take off a week or so from smoking my pipe, when I return, it tastes exactly as you described. No matter the blend. After several bowls, my taste for the leaf returns.
Give your tastebuds time to adjust. Eventually, you'll start tasting notes.
@@TheSpurgeonPiper Thank you so much for taking the time to answer me, I'm just one of the thousands of subscribers! I will follow your advice and I truly hope that my tasting experience will improve. The pipe has done so many good things in my life. It has helped me to slow down, self reflect, enjoy small things in life in this world gone mad.
@@JetPilot747 Glad to help and am glad to hear it's already been a benefit!
@JetPilot747 were able to improve the taste or how has your journey gone? I’m just starting out and earlier today was thinking just what you described
@@mercury187hello, I am now 11 months further into the journey and I must say there is a lot of improvement. I am not going to say that I could now tell what flavorings are in the tobacco (without reading the tin) but I do notice subtle notes of for example cherries. I also have a favorite tobacco (a cherry house blend from Germany since I'm from Europe) that works really well for me and I keep putting that one in a dedicated pipe and it's my general go to tobacco. I have learned to smoke cooler as well and this makes a huge difference in taste. Don't focus too much on keeping your pipe lit! It is more important to smoke cooler and having to relight than trying to keep it lit throughout an entire bowl! Lastly, halfway through the bowl, I dump the top ashes out (the very thin, fine white burnt up ashes create foul taste). Also remember it's tobacco smoke coming into your mouth and not cherry juice or vanilla cream. These are the ideas that keep me getting back to the pipe every time. Pauses of an entire week are ok too. You don't have to smoke it twice a day to get better. I hope this helps. But it's a very individual journey as I see it. What others like or love, might not work for you. PS: forgot to mention I always clean my pipes after a smoke. It is very important to keep them clean. And not to smoke too many blends with the same pipe. Try to stick to a blend you seem to like for some reason and smoke it regularly using the same pipe. (To avoid ghosting)
Like you said there’s more than one way to skin a cat. For me & my pipe smoking comrades we thoroughly clean our pipes after every use. We pack properly & smoke properly & good tobacco that is at the correct moisture burns just fine. We find by doing this our pipes are always very fresh & clean tasting allowing us to truly taste every new tobacco without lingering notes from a dirty pipe.
My method is very similar except I simply aim the pipe down and gently blow at the ash while i very gently run a pipecleaner round the inside of bowl with nor more than 3 circles. But I'm a clumsy person so I try be super gentle with bowl cleaning while building my carbon cake. For context all my pipes are briar wood, half/full bent, 3 apples nd 2 bulldog shape.
What do you think about 5000 year old Bog Oak? I just purchased from Paronelli Pipe, I am excited to drive. I think this will have a Peet Taste from the wood. Thoughts?
Good content. Like it.
Glad you enjoy it!
Thank you.
1 week pipe smoker. Thanks for this video. What are a couple good tobaccos to start with?
I have a few videos on beginner blends that should be helpful
Can I do the burning to the bottom in sessions or does it have to be all in one sitting? Like, can a smoke some, put it down and then come back to it later as long as I go all the way to the bottom? I just don’t always have time for a whole bowl of some of my bigger bowls
I see that Berkhof. Nice!
Good eye!
Bravo my friend
the world of pipe smoking is really weird. theres nothing that beats the first hit out of a brand new clean pipe but ALSO nothing can beat a nice broken in pipe too!
Hey, thank you for the awesome video. Very helpful for newcomer. I just purchased my first Stanwell natural finish pipe. Do you - or have you heard - is it common to use some kind of oil, finish or something for the "unfinished" surface of the natural finish pipe?
I noticed some of your books on your shelf. are you in Seminary? or just studying theology as a hobby? Also great videos for pipe smoking.
I guess I’m the exception, I don’t like carbon cake…make the pipe smell like a chimney. I don’t think I’m alone hence why reamers exist. Thx for the content!
Great Video. Being noob myself I actually find myself fearing causing fire in my house. I maintain my pipes regularly, but still. I keep my pipe collection in my library. I make sure they are being thoroughly cleaned after smoking, but is there any method that would give me a peace of mind? Cheers
Is that just a copy of the confession behind you on the desk or a book about it? Thanks!
That's a clothback copy
@@TheSpurgeonPiper it doesn’t look like it’s available anymore, but it’s good to see there’s many groups putting out the 1689 in high quality bindings.
I’m a relatively new pipe smoker. I’ve subscribed to your RUclips channel and have watched a lot of your videos. I’m really starting to enjoy the hobby and I think I’m ready to buy my first “nice” pipe.
I currently have a starter pipe kit from Scotte.
I live in the north Texas area, just south of DFW. Where do you recommend I go to get my hands on some quality pipes? Thanks in advance for your help.
For a brick and mortar store, I'd check out the good folks at Tobacco Cabana in Cedar Hill, Texas. Grabbing some corncobs from Missouri Meerschaum wouldn't be a bad idea either. Hope that helps.
@@TheSpurgeonPiper ok cool. I’ll check it out. Thank you!
What is the pipe in your thumbnail?
my grandad used to soak a new pipe in rum or brandy for about a month before he would start smoking it
Am I the only one that owns a pipe & tobacco only to smoke it a few times a year
I have a problem with getting a cake in the bottom half of my pipes. I start with a half or less bowlful for several smokes and then add only a little bit of tobacco each smoke, but I find, even after I have started smoking it full that the bottom of the bowl does not cake well. Can you say why this is a problem for me, and recommend a solution?
Concerning building up your carbon cake at the bottom of your bowl if when you have very little tobacco in the bowl used the camper on your three-in-one tool and gently hold it against the tobacco and and smoke this will force the fire to the bottom of the bowl and your carbon Kate will build up nice and even at the bottom
Can I use Bourbon to clean the bowl? Do you use filters in your pipes. I recently bought my first in years, a Whittock that made with everything. I'm happy with it...but it is made in China.
Mine is pearwood, so I'm guessing it's similar to cherry?
What copy of the 1689 is that on your desk? It looks really nice!
That is a recent publication by Parresia in Scotland.
Clear vinegar is used for cleaning that will clean up your pipe and coffee machine.
I just found a channel with a brother in Christ who loves theology and is toting pipe smoking? My heart is full and I've found my home 😂😂
Glad to have your support!
Agreed! The name drew me in. The content will keep me here.
Now I just have to get a pipe.
Now I might have made a slight mistake. I've been wanting to get into pipe smoking for a while. Cause I do like the occasional cigar. And I kind of wanted to switch to pipe smoking I was with a friend of mine at a local shop. And I've looked at this company before. They're based out in Asheville. I'm from North Carolina, so it's like awesome. A local north carolina pipe and they base them off like lord of the rings, I got the pie but I'm trying to learn. I just came across your videos. Cause I was planning ongoing out and getting some tobacco today. I want to say my pipe is of decent quality but how do you know?
@@GuyGalaxy chances are if it's made in the United States and the wood is briar, the quality is just fine.
@TheSpurgeonPiper Okay, well Hey, I should have probably done this before. I bought it, but you know, impulse. Buys but I just went to their website. And the pipe that I got is made from cherry wood. The company is polsar Shire pipes. Based out in Asheville, North Carolina, from what ive been able to look up and what the store clerk told me
@@GuyGalaxy cherry wood is a fine wood for pipes. You should be fine.
@@TheSpurgeonPiper Awesome. Thank you very much for your time. I really appreciate it!
Just picked up a brand new pipe and it has the precarbon on it. Do I have to be careful with breaking in process (like only smoking a quarter bowl etc) or can i fill the bowl and just smoke slowly? Thanks Chris.
Fill and smoke.
I prefer to use a clay Jamestown style pipe from a historical supplier I use.
Almost all the pipes I buy are at least 50 years old, so there’s that as a solution, too🤣
For sure
New to the crew, just got my pipe for Father's Day. Want to break my Black and Mild habit and go to something that I can do and not break the habit. Names Kevin and just want to say hi to the team.
Can I use anything else to clean the stain from the inside of the bowl? I just got my pipe today, really want to try it, but I dont have the exact right materials to follow his instructions to clean it out
You can get pipe cleaners with more 'fluffiness'. Like a squeegee, almost.
my pipe came with a layer of carbon inside of it, i used alcohol with paper towels after two weeks of using the pipe to clean it out. i believe the layer of carbon was washed away. do you think it is still safe to use it? or is there any way to add a new layer of carbon inside of the bowl?
I've never heard of anyone using alcohol or any "solution" to clean a pipe. Theoretically the alcohol should evaporate. You should be alright. You could pack a bowl and burn of any residual alcohol. Carbon buildup is a good thing. When it gets really out of hand, your tamper should normally have a reamer or scraper to scrape out the excess buildup in your bowl. I just use pipe cleaners
(no cleaning solutions) to clean the shank and the stem/mouth piece. I honestly don't believe any chemicals other than those in tobacco should be touching your pipe bowl. You kinda want that buildup. I've been smoking over 2 years now and only use pipe cleaners. Personally I like the way the seasoned bowls smell. I hope I could have been of some help for you.
ive been smoking pipes for over 60 yrs. now it seems all i can find are pipes with a metal bowl inside managed to get 2 of 7 pipe bowls out. they smoke much better without the metal bowls inside the wood pipe. any ideas how to get the small metal bowls out of a wooden pipe?
I don't have a pipe with a metal.bowl. Try Peterson or Savinelli
From what I read pipes with metal bowls are usually for smoking a different kind of leaf that’s green
For cleaning the airway, is 40% vodka suitable? Or does it have to be higher proof isopropyl?
No vodka would be just fine. In fact, since the making of this video, I now use whiskey (a cheap form) instead of isopropyl alcohol.
@@TheSpurgeonPiper I'll be honest, I didn't expect a reply, considering this video is a year old. Thanks for the reply! I just bought my first ever briar pipe after having a nice experience smoking a corn cob pipe with a friend, and I can't wait to try it. Just wanna make sure I'm not making any rookie mistakes, so I am really glad to have found your channel.
@@matthewdeguire472 glad your picking up the hobby well so far! Happy to help
Still here a month later. Algorithm got something right.
That 1689 book…yes sir!
Hey, I have the option in a Savinelli 672 of a 6mm or 9mm bowl. What is the difference if anybody can help.
@@Ibelievemessiah it comes down to filter size. 6mm pipes use 6mm filters and likewise for 9mm. That's about it
What about Heather pipes ?
Good evening sir been watching alots of your vid and other channel lately..I have been wanting to get into this hobby for a while but have not had had the funds to do so ,it seems very calming speding time by your self reflexting and in am 50 years old scemes like got time to try this out.I would hate to ask but do u have a crappy pipe you dont use no more and some tabacoo you could giftet me ,So I can try.This would greatly be appreciated.I have not been able to get it my self cause i am fighthing to get back my ssi and have not had money to spend in leisure things.
Try using bourbon or scotch.
I just ordered a corn cob pipe. How do you break those in?
I’m new to bowls myself, just got a dr grabow.
For corn cob pipes I figure you just burn and turn em, get new ones once it’s burnt out and move onto a wooden bowl for longevity
Like he said before me: corncob pipes are there to be smoked hard and then done.
@@jasonkemppainen4731 my corn cob pipe has lasted quite a few years. I treat them no different than my meersham or briar.
Rum or whiskey does a fine job as a cleaner
I own Credal Imperative and a host of Truman books as well, see JIPacket Knowing God as also ... A classic... Good reformed theologians... Great reading as you puff... Surgeon would approve.
I'm just going to put tobacco in my pipe and light it...
What do think about non-nicotine tobaccos?
Interesting, I don’t believe I realize there was such a thing
Most important, smoke half bowls numerous times completely. I have smoked about 40 pipes for about 45 years.
Do i need to break in a clay pipe?
You don't
Video actually starts at 3:30..........
Oh crap! I've been scraping out the carbon cake.
I have never been able to smoke a bowl full all the way to the bottom. I end up sucking in ash before I get to the bottom. So I have never been able to build a proper cake in any of my pipes.
So far I've just been putting tobacco in the pipe and smoking it as normal until the carbon builds up 😅
In the grand scheme of things, it's that simple!
@@TheSpurgeonPiper I had a friend that put honey into his and he found he couldn't smoke it anymore, he had to spend money to get it cleaned, and we live in Japan so that's really expensive to do, I've been careful since then...
Why not hit it with a blow torch like they do with bourbon barrels? You could have a carbon cake before your first bowl.
The carbon cake is supposed to be from tobacco not the briar pipe itself.
Nothing like a good pipe while you read the Westminster Confession of Faith *cough *cough I mean 1689! 😉 Jk JK Great video
Some old timers, or now, I see the new term cogher piper don't really care about carbon cake. They load, smoke, dump and scrape out every single time.
I carbonize my new or reconditioned pipes with my own mixture of Activated Charcoal and Sour Cream....
The inside of my new pipe bowl seems to be coated with a black fiberglass. Is this normal anyone???
Yes, sometimes producers coat the inside with fiberglass in order to help the cake grow :-)
I always assumed that the carbon cake was to protect the wood on the inside of the bowl from slowing burning away.
Inhaling that wood directly day after day long term seems like not a great idea.
Pipe smokers Don't inhale.
@@bencarter7839 of course they don’t silly me-
Not a one has ever inhaled and lived to tell about it as far as I know and it would be unthinkable to even consider inhaling the tobacco smoke from a tobacco smoking pipe for a single second even though it’s from some of the purest and highest quality smoking tobacco known to man.
Every pipe smoker I have ever met has super clean perfectly healthy lungs from never inhaling passively, retroactively or simply by accident.
@billyarsenault1970 I became a pipe smoker after smoking cigarettes for 10 years, I absolutely inhale lol 😅
@@Cpt_RB lol.
See I fucking knew it-
All us X cig smokers are still inhaling like fucking demons in the night.
🤣
Maybe this is a silly question but why would you not want to buy a pipe from china?
Not a silly question at all. I have a video that covers this (Joyodelf pipe review). In short, I don't trust most companies there. They use cheap wood and nonwood material that can be harmful to smoke from.
@@TheSpurgeonPiper hmmmm 😳 is there any way to check lol ou know preform a quality test?
@@Jibninjah some mention it when you look on their Amazon product page. Others dont. But my encouragement is to avoid cheapo pipes on Amazon/Etsy and go with trusted brands. It's not worth the few bucks you'll save
@@TheSpurgeonPiper thanks for the info watched a few of yr videos today was needing to take care of some neglected pipes
Thoughts on metal of glass pipes?